Many people own a dog, and wonder if their pet would be happier if they had the company of a second dog.

Although dogs are pack animals, they don't necessarily need their pack to consist of the same species. Dogs form relationships with the humans in their lives, and these humans become the members of their pack.

There are benefits to owning two dogs.

If you have an older dog, he may have a new lease of life with a younger dog to play with. The older dog can help a new dog fit into the family routine, which can make the addition of a young puppy easier.

Dogs who are left alone for long periods a day can become bored, destructive and noisy. Dogs aren't designed to be solitary. Under these circumstances, another dog can provide companionship and reduce the number of noise complaints from your neighbors. However, unless you train your dogs, you could end up with twice the problems!

What are the disadvantages of adding an extra dog to your family?

The obvious one is the expense. Make sure your budget allows for twice as much food, and twice as many vaccinations, worming tablets and flea control medications. Be sure you can also cover any emergency expenses for two dogs. If you go on vacation and can't take them with you, add the cost of boarding two dogs to your list of expenses.

If your dogs live inside, you'll have twice as much dog hair to clean up. To most dog lovers, that's not a problem.

There are some suggestions that two dogs in a household will bond closely with each other, and be less connected to their human owners. You can avoid this by giving each dog lots of individual attention, and training them well so they still have a strong bond with you. This will also make it easier for you to establish your position as leader of your pack.

It's a good idea when choosing a second dog, to select one of the opposite sex to the dog you already have. Although there are always individual conflicts between dogs, you'll have much less risk of fighting than if you owned two boys or two girls. Make sure you have them neutered or it won't just be one new dog in your family! 

When you are introducing a new dog, make sure you supervise carefully and if possible, allow the dogs to meet away from your home. This avoids any possible territorial issues - your dog may not want to share his turf with an interloper, but he may feel better about it if the dog is already a friend.

In a two dog household, you'll notice that one dog will eventually become more dominant than the other. It's important that, when you interact with your dogs, you acknowledge that. This means that you feed the dominant dog first, and give him attention before you cuddle your other dog. Your two dogs have sorted out their pack structure, and are happy with it. If you treat them in the wrong order, your top dog may feel the need to re-establish the hierarchy, which can lead to squabbles and bickering between them 

If you have the budget, and the time to invest in them, two dogs really aren't any more trouble than one. The biggest advantage is that you get twice as many doggy cuddles.